Matthew Lopez is a Lecturer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he has been a faculty member since 2017. He holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in Design Theory and Pedagogy from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). His design work and research investigate the relationship between technology, aesthetics, and contemporary culture.

Since 2008, Matthew has worked as a design professional on a diverse set of residential, commercial, and institutional projects. In 2024, he founded Optica Studio, a design practice working across various typologies and scales. The work includes building design, interiors, domestic objects, installations, and sculptures. The studio engages in speculative projects and pursues built commissions, translating contemporary architectural concepts into realized designs with a sensitivity to form and material expression.

Matthew is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring. He has led and coordinated numerous courses across the curriculum, including architectural design studios, Digital Constructs, Architectural Media, and Portfolio Development. He is also the Director of the Summer Architecture Career Discovery Program, a two-week workshop designed to expose high school students to a high-quality undergraduate architecture program. In 2021, Matthew served as a mentor to Schenectady Middle School students through Rise High, a program designed to enhance STEM education and address diversity gaps in the discipline.

Additionally, Matthew has served as the co-editor of SCI-Arc’s online academic journal, Offramp, and is featured in its Summer ’17 issue, Guise. He currently lives and works in Troy, NY.